Wednesday, September 26, 2012

The Adventures of Ford Fairlane



Runtime: 104 minutes

Directed by: Renny Harlin

Starring: Andrew Dice Clay, Lauren Holly, Maddie Corman, Wayne Newton

From: 20th Century Fox

Yep, I saw this wacky and in some circles infamous film. I actually had seen it once before, but that was like 15 or some odd years ago; I barely remembered anything about it. That's why I am glad it was on Instant. I decided to give it a few as earlier in the year I saw some people on a messageboard give it a lot of praise.

The plot: Fairlane (Clay) is a “rock and roll detective”, even if he hates the term. He works with a pal/sometimes lover (Holly) and he ends up dealing with several cases at once, including a rock and roll star (Vince Neil!) passing away under odd circumstances, a woman (Priscilla Presley) asking him to look for a young girl, and a shock DJ (Gilbert Gottfried) asking him to find the same girl. At first things seem complicated but it all comes together in the end as you see that young girl (Corman) and a rich record producer (Newton).

Oh, what a film. It certainly isn't for all tastes. It is LOUD, in your face, gaudy, crass, crude... then again you can say that about the lead alone. If you don't like Clay's Diceman schtick, then of course you should never check this out as you'll hate it. It's vulgar and crass and it's also odd and wild; somehow, Fred Flintstone rings, a koala bear, d-bags and their Corvette, a sorority, and various singer cameos (Tone Loc, Sheila E., Neil, Morris Day), along with appearances by familiar actors (Ed O'Neill, Robert Englund as a crazy guy with an English accent, David Patrick Kelly) all get involved. Brash, yes, but overall the story is entertaining and it's not only fun to watch but it is an honest to goodness detective story, just one that is set in a neon color and insane world.

If you are able to tolerate such a film that is a real product of its time, you can enjoy this wild tale which is definitely unpredictible. There's even a random musical number from The Diceman. You'll also get some setpieces that are quite unique; for example, a car chase of sorts in a cemetery and a shootout battle in and then on the side of the Capitol Records building.

I'll be back Saturday night.

No comments:

Post a Comment